Apparatus for the manufacture of artificial silk and the like



R. 'ETZKORN Feb. 26, 1935.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SILK AND THE LIKE Filed March 19, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 26,1935. R 'ETZKQRN 1,992,928

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SILK AND THE LIKE Filed March 19, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuentu Feb. 26, 1935. R ETZKORN 1,992,928

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL SILK AND THE LIKE Filed March 19, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwodntov Patented Feb. 26, 1935 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE or ARTIFICIAL SILK AND THE LIKE Rudolf Etzkorn,

Oberbruch, Germany, assignor to North American Rayon Corporation, New

York, N. Y., a

corporation of Delaware Application March 19, 1932, Serial No. 599,995 In Germany March 20, 1931 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of artificial productions, and more particularly to improvements in the construction of devices suitable for manufacturing artificial thread and the like by the pot-spinning or centrifuge process.

It is an object of this invention to provide an arrangement of parts which will permit of great savings in the power consumption now necessary for the rotation of the spinning pot or centrifuge at the desired and necessary speeds.

Another object of this invention is to provide a suitable construction whereby the spinning operation may be carried out effectively under reduced pressure.

A further object of this invention is to so arrange the thread guide that the same may be swung out of operation when it is desired to remove the spinning pot or centrifuge.

A still further object of this invention is to so arrange the operative parts of the spinning mechanism that they may be enclosed within a housing. A suitable vacuum may be set up since the only opening in the housing is just large enough to permit the passage of the thread thereto without damaging the same.

These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description, and by reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the improved spinning arrangement Figure 2 is a top plan' view of the same, the drive for the voscillating thread guide being omitted; Figure 3 is a sectional view of a modified to of the invention; and Figure 4 is a sectional view of form of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, there is shown a spinning pot or centrifuge 10 enclosed within a housing 11, and provided with a cover 12 which is held tight against the top of the housing during the spinning operation by the negative pressure set up in the housing. To insure a tight fit between the cover and housing a rubber gasket 13 is provided in the recess 14 on which the cover rests. By this construction a simple and effective seal is formed between the cover and housing thus avoiding the use of special fastening means such as screws and the like. The spinning chamber is connected with any suitable vacuum means (not shown) such as a pump by means of the pipe line 15. Through this pipe is also removed another modified the centrifuged. particles of the spinning bath, water. etc.

The cover may, if desired, be dome shaped, and is provided with an opening in which is secured a funnel 16. An air-tight fit is provided between the opening and funnel. As may be clearly seen from an inspection of Figure 1, the opening in the stem of the funnel is very small and is of a size just sufi'icient 'to permit the passage of the thread therethrough without damaging the same. The

diameter of the opening will range from a maximum of 3 mm. to below 1 mm. in diameter depending upon the size of thread which is to be collected. Located below the funnel and between the said funnel and spinning pot or centrifuge is the thread guide tube 17 of conventional form. The thread guide tube is secured to the arm 18 which is in turn fixedly secured to the vertical shaft 19 to which is imparted a 'recip- 18 together with the thread guide means may be swung into the position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 2, out of the way of the spinning pot or centrifuge.

In Figure 3 there is shown a modified form of construction. The spinning pot or centrifuge 10' is enclosed in the housing 11' by the cover 12' which rests on the rubber gasket 13' located in the recess 14'. The cover is provided with a narrow opening located centrally of the spinning pot in which is secured a funnel 16 by means of the packing 23 in the annular ring 24' surrounding the opening. The thread guide tube 17 is pivotally secured to the arm or funnel holder 25 at 26 so that the said guide will be maintained in a vertical position at all times through the coaction of the arms 25 and 2'7, through-the pivot 26. To impart the necessary oscillatory movement to the thread guide the arm or funnel holder 25 is hingedly secured at 28 in the opening 29 formed in the housing. The outer end of the lever is secured to any suitable means which will impart thereto an oscillatory movement. To prevent the ingress of air into the housing through the opening 29 there is positioned around said lever a rubber or elastic collar 30. The spimiing pot is rotated by the motor 31 and the housing evacuated by the vacuum line 15. At the end of the spinning operaation the cover is removed, the arm or funnel holder swung into the position shown by the dotted line (Figure 3) and the spinning pot removed In starting the spinning operation, the thread is pulled through the funnel 16 by the vacuum created in the housing. To facilitate the entrance of the thread into the thread guide tube '17 a funnel like member 31 is provided in the cover adjacent to the funnel 16' through which water may be poured. During the spinning operation this opening is closed by means of a rubber stopper 31' or other suitable means.

In Figure 4 there is shown a further modified form "of construction. Recently constructions have been developed in which the drive means for the oscillating tube is not used to drive a group of tubes for several spinning pots but each oscillating tube is provided with an individual drive. Many types of drive may be used as for example, mechanical or electrical driving means. -When such form of mechanism is used the spinning pot or centrifuge 32 is located in 'the evacuated casing 33 and is separated from the motor 34 by the partition 35 which is inclined with respect to the horizontal to permit the centrifuged particles and wash water to fiow toward the vacuum line 36 whereby the liquids may be drawn ofi therethrough by a suitable vacuum producing means which maintains the chamber under reduced pressure during the spinning operation. The casing is provided with a cover construct ed in accordance with the construction shown in Figure 1. The thread guide tube 37 is secured to the arm 38 which in turn is rigidly secured to a shaft 39 to which the desired reciprocating motion is imparted by the motor 34. It will be appreciated that the operating mechanism is placed within a housing in which a vacuum may be readily maintained. The only opening in the chamber is formed by the opening for the thread which, as explained above, is small in size.

Having now described the invention as required by the patent statutes, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, a housing therefor, an air-tight cover for said housing having a restricted thread opening formed therein located above said spinning pot, a vacuum line for reducing the air pressure within said housing, a thread guide positioned between said thread opening and spinning pot whereby thread may be laid in said pot, and means for reciprocating said thread guide.

2. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, a housing therefor, an air-tight cover iorsaid housing having a restricted thread opening formed therein located above said spinning pot, a vacuummeans for reducing the air pressure in said housing, a thread guide positioned between said thread opening and spinning pot, whereby thread may be laid in said pot, and means for reciprocating said thread guide including a horizontal arm to which said thread guide is secured and a reciprocable shaft connected to said arm and extending through said housing.

3. In adevice of the class described, a spin ning pot, a housing therefor, an air-tight cover for said housing having a restricted thread opening formed therein located centrally above said spinning pot, a vacuum means for reducing the air pressure in said housing, a thread guide positioned between said thread opening and spinning pot whereby thread may be laid in said pot, and. means for reciprocating said thread guide including an horizontal arm to which said thread is secured, said thread guide and said arm being pivotally mounted whereby they may be swung into inoperative position at the conclusion of the spinning operation.

4. In a device of the class described, an airtight housing for pot spinning apparatus used in the manufacture of artificial thread and the like comprising a casing, a cover for said casing having a thread receiving opening formed therein, an opening for an operating shaft, a sealing means for said shaft comprising a packing box, packing means in said box and adjustable means to hold said packing in position.

5. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, an open end housing therefor, a cover for said housing having a narrow opening formed therein, a funnel secured in said opening to lead thread to said spinning pot and a second funnel located in an opening adjacent said first mentioned opening whereby liquid may be poured into said spinning pot at the commencement of the spinning operation.

6. A pot spinning apparatus for the manufacture of artificial thread and the like under reduced pressure, comprising in combination, a spinning pot, an open ended housingtherefor, a cover for said housing having a plurality of openings formed in said cover, one of said openings having secured therein a thread receiving funnel, the other of said openings having secured therein a liquid receiving funnel, a thread guide means. located between said thread receiving opening and spinning pot whereby the downward movement of the thread into said spinning pot may be assisted by liquid poured through said liquid receiving means.

7. A pot spinning apparatus for the manufacture of artificial thread and the like under reduced. pressure comprising, in combination, a spinning pot, a housing for said spinning pot and motor, a partition located between said spinning pot and motor and having a plurality .of openings formed therein, one of said openings adaptedto receive the motor shaft, oscillatory thread guide means to lay thread in said spinning pot and a reciprocatory shaft secured to said thread guide means and passing through the other of said openings in said partition, and operatively attached to said motor. I

8. A pot spinning apparatus for the collection of artificial silk and the like under reduced pressure comprising a spinning pot, a motor for rotating said spinning pot, thread guide means for laying thread in said spinning pot, and means driven by said motor and secured to said thread guide means for imparting 'reciprocatory motion to the latter, and an air-tight housing for enclosing said pot, said motor, said thread guide means, and said driven means.

9. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, a housing-for said spinning pot, means for reducing the air pressure within said housing, a thread guide located wholly within said housing, and means for reciprocating said guide.

10. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, a housing for said spinning pot, means for reducing the air pressure within said housing, a thread guide located wholly within said housing, and means mounted wholly within said housing for reciprocating said guide.

11. In a device of the class described, a spinning pot, a housing for said spinning pct, means for reducing the air pressure within said housing, a thread guide, located wholly within said housing, means for reciprocating said guide, in-

10 eluding a horizontal arm secured to said thread guide and means extending into said housing and connected to said arm.

12. In a device of tlfe class described, a spinning pot, a housing for said spinning pot, a cover for said housing having an opening of a diameter sufiicient solely for passage of thread therethrough, housing evacuating means, a thread guide located wholly within said housing, and means for reciprocating said thread guide.

I RUDOLF ETZKORN. 

